GREENSBORO (March 23, 2016) –The North Carolina A&T softball team had a big seventh inning in the first game of a Wednesday doubleheader against Drexel to earn a 3-2 win. The Aggies were unable to catch the Dragons lead before Game 2 was called due to darkness in the seventh inning with Drexel leading and eventually winning 10-7.
N.C. A&T's exciting seventh inning started when third baseman Jillian Nobles reached on an error by shortstop Gabriella Kuroda and advanced to second on a single by Lauren Dunlow. After Alejandra Barcenas was walked to load the bases, Lorrin Turner hit a groundball to short where Kuroda was playing in. Kuroda fired a throw home that went over the head of her catcher allowing Nobles to tie the game and Dunlow to come home with the game-winning run.
The Aggies fell behind early as Janika May faced a bases loaded situation in the first inning. A fly ball to center field by catcher Samantha Asbra scored Baeley Reed. In the second, three consecutive hits and an RBI sacrifice fly scored Kim Chan to give the Dragons a 2-0 lead. The Aggies started their comeback in the fourth with a triple to center field by Raven Grey, who scored on May's RBI single to cut the lead to 2-1.
Freshman Zadaisha Waddell, who came on in third, did a fantastic job of keeping Drexel off the scoreboard the rest of the game. She went five innings, gave up only three hits, walked only one and struck out four. Her solid pitching allowed the Aggies to stay close, setting up the seventh-inning rally. Waddell improved to 4-7 in the circle.
The Dragons jumped out to an early lead in Game 2, scoring five of their 10 total runs in the first inning.
It left the Aggies having to claw and scratch their way back throughout the entire contest. Gray added another home run for the season with a shot to left field to lead off the third inning to cut Drexel's lead to 7-3. May used her speed to score from second base off of an RBI single by Nobles to get the Aggies to within three runs. N.C. A&T trailed 10-6 going into the seventh inning, added another run but the game was called on account of darkness.
N.C. A&T is now 4-2 at home.
The Aggies finish up their home stand against MEAC opponent South Carolina State this weekend. They begin the series with a doubleheader on Friday, with the first pitch at 1 p.m. Saturday's game is scheduled to begin at noon.
